Land Use

In a somewhat surprising move, the Senate Finance Committee placed SB 50, authored by Senators Wiener and Skinner, in the "suspense" file. That action is reserved for bills that could have significant fiscal impacts and need further study or modification. In the case of SB 50, the committee report for the bill had flagged significant costs for analyzing and then preparing maps of the "job rich" areas across the state that would be subject to automatic u

Following up on the previous week’s Town Hall featuring Senator Skinner’s Communications Director, Bob Gammon, explaining the bill, the committee discussed various aspects of the bill and how it might affect Oakland and Rockridge. Committee members raised numerous concerns about the bill. Perhaps the biggest concern is that the bill, like its predecessor SB 827, attempts a “one-size-fits-all” approach to addressing California’s shortage of affordable housing. Indeed, Mr.

The April 18th Town Hall was primarily devoted to a high-interest program: explaining California Senate Bill 50 – a bill to promote housing near train and ferry stops, along major bus routes, and in major job centers – and how it might affect Rockridge. The program, expertly moderated by Ms.

Here is the agenda for the land use committee meeting set for Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 7:30 PM in the upstairs meeting room of the Rockridge Branch Library (5366 College Ave, corner of Manila Ave.)
1. Possible short update on Rockridge Housing Study
2. Discussion of SB 50 and possible recommendations to Board of Directors.

The meeting's agenda will tentatively include presentation and discussion of revised plans for a four-story [density bonus] mixed-use project at 5346 College Ave (next to McNally's Irish Pub - current building is a one-story bungalow converted to commercial use). May also include a short update on Rockridge Housing Study and proposed April Town Hall land use topic.

The RCPC Land Use Committee will meet this Wednesday, December 26th starting at 7:30 PM in the upstairs meeting room of the Rockridge Branch Library on College Ave. The meeting will be open to the public.

With opposition to their bill appearing both wide and strong, Senators Scott Wiener (D-S.F.) and Nancy Skinner (D-Oakland/Berkeley) backpedaled significantly on their bill to mandate upzoning near transit stations and along transit corridors. However, it was apparently not enough. SB 827's first committee hearing, before the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, happened April 17th. While the results of that hearing were not yet available on the Legislature's website, News

The February Rockridge News featured an article on Senators Scott Wiener's (D-San Francisco) and Nancy Skinner's (D-Oakland-Berkeley) bill, which would mandate residential upzoning near transit stations and major transit line stops statewide. Faced with significant opposition to their bill, they have added a series of amendments. (The attached file shows the bill's amended language as of March 1, 2018.)

Following up on their success last year in passing SB 35 (see Land Use Committee Update article for January 2018), State Senators Scott Wiener (San Francisco) and Nancy Skinner (Oakland/Berkeley) have introduced a new bill, SB 827, intended to address California's housing crisis. The bill would create a "transit-rich housing bonus" that would apply to areas near transit stations or "high quality transit corridors" (bus service at least every 15 minutes during peak travel hours). In those areas, local zoning height limits would be replaced by height limits

An overflow crowd filled the Rockridge Library's meeting room on the evening of January 24th to hear about a variety of topics, mostly related to transportation. The topic included the removal and replacement of trees around the Rockridge BART station that had been identified as hazards, placing min-roundabouts along Shafter Avenue in conjunction with its repaving this Spring, the location of Ford Go-bike bikeshare stations around Rockridge, including in front of the Firestorm tile mural at the Rockridge BART station, and an update on a condominium project put forward by Signature

The Land Use Committee's January 24th meeting will be held, beginning at 7:30 PM, at the upstairs meeting room of the Rockridge Branch Library on College Ave. at Manila St. The agenda will focus on the ongoing Rockridge Housing Study and include the following:

If you've driven past the corner of Broadway and Pleasant Valley in the last week, you may have noticed activity there. Here's the latest update from TRC, Inc., the developers of "Shops at the Ridge," on the demolition of the old, asbestos-contaminated Chase Bank building at the corner. Demolition had been stalled by the discovery that the cables holding up the roof deck were covered with asbestos. The City has now issued a demolition permit to take the building down, and the plans have been approved by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which

The City of Oakland's employee strike delayed issuance of the demolition permit. However, we've now been informed that TRC plans to restart demolition around December 20th. Their plan is still to have demolition completed by the end of February 2018.

Redfield Cider Bar and Bottle Shop (5815/5817 College Avenue) Mike Reis, one of the principals of the enterprise, presented the plans for this proposed bar/bottle shop, which would be located at the former site of See Jane Run. The use would require a minor use permit from the City and a Type 42 license (beer, wine & cider on-site/off-site consumption) from the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. No application has yet been submitted to the City.

A video of the October RCPC Town Hall, featuring Darin Ranelletti of the City of Oakland explaining the current status of the Shops at the Ridge Project phase II and the problem of asbestos contamination of the old Chase Bank building, and, a presentation by representatives of the California College of Art and their chosen developer of preliminary plans for redevelopment/re-use of CCA's Oakland campus. The video can be found at: https://youtu.be/paOVflVUoWU

Land Use Committee

The Land Use Committee is responsible for monitoring, providing substantive review and commenting on commercial and residential planning, applications, zoning compliance, and relevant legislation - in addition to promoting the implementation of neighborhood plans.

This committee promotes working relationships between community members and serves as a liaison between RCPC and the Oakland Planning Commission, city staff, developers and project proponents.